Because of You
by bearhead
Summary: What starts as a forced acquaintanceship will always grow to more. An exploration of Neji and Tenten's relationship from their academy days onward. Chapter 1 is up, chapter 2 coming soon!


**Okay so here is the start to a multi-chapter fic about Neji and Tenten's relationship, starting right here with their graduation from the academy. I hope you like it and I would love suggestions and criticism! Thanks for reading!**

**~bearhead**

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The Beginning

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Tenten looked nervously around her class, judging its inhabitants. Today was exam day at the academy, and as she looked at each face she decided whether or not they were going to pass. Some she knew would have no problems with the exam, kids like that Hyuga kid. All the adults call him a prodigy and she could see why, he was top of the class in every subject, except projectiles of course, no one could beat her there. She had tried to talk to him once, after their first kunai throwing competition…

* * *

Tenten released her last kunai, taking little time to aim and watched with no surprise as it sank neatly into the center of the target. She allowed herself a little proud smile before she looked to the teacher for the final results. Of course she was not shocked at all when she came out first, she had 100% accuracy, no one could beat it. She was surprised, however, to find out that the kid that came in second had only missed twice, no one ever came that close, especially not at the academy. The teacher announced that second place goes to a certain Neji Hyuga.

_Of course_, she thought to herself, e_veryone says he's a prodigy, I shouldn't be surprised that he's good at everything. _

Tenten was impressed though, not one to let petty pride get in her way she located the boy to congratulate him for his impressive second place. She found him standing in the back, eyes blank, mouth tight.

_Geez_, _is he not even a little excited that he got second place?_

Tenten cautiously approached him.

"Hey!" she said with a smile. The boy barely glanced at her, his pupiless eyes briefly meeting hers.

"Uhh," she was at a loss, "I just wanted to say congrats! You were really impressive! No one has ever come that close to beating me before!"

Tenten said it as innocent praise, but the Hyuuga boy glared at her, eyes glinting with annoyance

"Hn" he replied, a slight frown obscuring his face.

Tenten, realizing she might have insulted him, tried again, hoping desperately to fix the situation she didn't realize was unrepairable.

"Really, you did amazing! You might be the first person to actually beat me!"

Neji's frown deepened, his crossed his arms haughtily and turned his head pointedly away.

Tenten stood for a moment longer, not really sure how to handle the strange boy with the crappy attitude.

_Whatever_, she thought, _let him pout._

* * *

Tenten recalled that that was the moment she decided he was just another stuckup jerk. No one could deny that he was brilliant, his skills were unparalleled in every other area. But she remained determined to always be number one in projectiles. Only slightly hoping to damage his ego.

She had no doubt he would pass his test with flying colors, but she hoped to god she didn't end up on the same team with him.

I couldn't survive being stuck with him and his haughty attitude for any longer.

She decided she had spent too much time thinking about stupid Neji Hyuuga, so she kept her eyes moving, separating the kids into pass or fail categories

Neji Hyuuga: pass

Katsuri Inasawa: pass

Noturi Ikojin: fail

Tsuri Komato: pass

Rock Lee: fail

Yoritsu Modoku: pass

She stopped her game as the teacher entered. She suddenly felt extremely nervous, something she hadn't really experienced before. She was pretty sure she would pass, but you could never be sure what the test would be.

"Listen up!" the teacher to a silent classroom.

"Today is your exam day, today we will be able to see how much work and dedication you have put into your studies, today will decide your future.

The test has been divided into four categories: obstacle course, ninjutsu, sparring, and projectiles."

Tenten's heart soared at the mention of the last one, she was mediocre at the other three, as long as the ninjutsu wasn't too hard, but she was undefeatable when it came to projectiles.

* * *

The class followed the instructor silently, their nerves overcoming their need to speak. They were led to the track which had been converted into a full on obstacle course, foreboding and dangerous.

The students lined up at the start line, nervously jostling each other, wanting to get as much as a head start as they could.

The whistle blew and they ran. Tenten started off slow, not wanting to wear herself out like some of the more ambitious kids. She made her way through the obstacles, passing many kids, but still getting passed by a few. The last part was a half mile run. She tried to figure out who it was in front of her, she guessed there to be about 6. Four she didn't know well enough to care about, one was her friend Tsuri and she was not surprised to see Neji Hyuga leading the pack. As she rounded the final turn she realized, with a start, that Neji was not first, there was another kid already finished, well before the rest of the class. She recognized the bushy eyebrows and long braided hair immediately. Rock Lee? The shock was evident in her tired voice.

She hadn't really spent any time with Lee, he was never in her training groups, but she knew from all the gossip that he couldn't perform a single ninjutsu, most people called him a failure.

_I guess I underestimated him_ she thought as she crossed the finish line. She hunched over, hands on her knees catching her breath, she looked around at her other classmates. Some were lying on the ground, gasping for breath, others were still struggling to finish. She noticed with a hint of annoyance that Neji Hyuga was standing perfectly straight, not a single hair out place, his face emotionless as he watched the other kids with haughty contempt. Tenten didn't know how, but she always seemed to be able to read him. His face would stay black but those weird eyes of his always gave him away.

Rock Lee's face shone with victory, unlike Neji's however, it was happy and innocent, not egotistical and demeaning. She decided this Lee kid might not be so bad after all.

* * *

The teachers gave the students a couple minutes to catch their breath, before leading them over to the next section of the test: ninjutsu.

They went one by one, conjuring up a clone in front of the class. Tenten managed to make a pretty decent clone, though it took her a little bit to conjure up the right amount of chakra. Neji's clone was, of course, as flawless as his perfect regular self. And he walked back to his seat with a smirk on his face and a challenge in his eyes. Tenten glared at him, but couldn't help but be impressed. He really was amazing.

Tenten didn't want to watch as Lee stepped up, looking nervous and uncertain. He tried multiple times to conjure up a clone, or any usable chakra at all, but there was no hope. Tenten spared him a look of pity as he returned to his seat, shamed by the snickers surrounding him. The rest of that section went uneventfully; except for one kid who tried so hard he fainted from chakra loss.

* * *

Next the kids followed the teachers out to an empty clearing with a circle drawn in the middle. Sparring, the instructor said, is not necessarily about winning; we just want you to demonstrate your skills in hand to hand combat. This will be a weaponless, chakra-less fight, hand to hand only.

Tenten looked around nervously, dreading who she would be paired up against. She watched the students go before her, some getting beat to a pulp, some taking so long the teachers had to call it short.

Rock Lee was the next to be called, Tenten watched, fascinated, as he beat his opponent down in mere seconds with some obscure, yet advanced taijutsu. The shock was evident on everyone's face; apparently no one knew of this hidden skillset of the rejected weirdo.

Tenten was still pondering this when she heard her name called followed by "Neji Hyuga"

_No_. she thought. _This can not be happening to me. Dear God what did I do to deserve this! _

She flicked her eyes toward the boy and found him looking at her with a smirk, obviously deciding the best way to demolish her. She hesitantly stepped into the circle and took her stance, the whispers of "poor Tenten' flowing through her ears.

She held on to the teacher's words, winning isn't necessary.

_Okay Tenten, you can do this. All you have to do is show the teachers you are good enough to be a genin. And getting a solid hit into that arrogant jerk's face wouldn't hurt either. _

She watched as Neji steadily made his was to his starting point, not looking apprehensive whatsoever.

The whistle blew but neither moved, both too smart to leap in immediately for an attack. They began to circle, each loop bringing them a little closer to each other. Tenten soon realized that she would have to be the one to make the first move, the almighty Neji is too high up to start a fight.

She lunged with certainty, aiming a hook shot to his temple. He deftly avoided the obvious strike, but wasn't able to block the sneaky uppercut that followed in its shadow. He took a step back and glared at Tenten with a look of surprised dislike. Tenten allowed herself a small amount of pride for successfully wiping that smirk off his face.

_It looks like he underestimated me; unfortunately I'm dead now that he knows how good I am._

Tenten fought her hardest, throwing and blocking strikes as quick and tactful as she could manage, but the Hyuga prodigy overpowered her, knocking her with a kick to the gut followed sharply by a hook to the ear that sent her to the ground, hurt and discombobulated.

She forced herself to get up even though the match had ended, she didn't want to look beat even if she was. She stared him down with defiant strength, letting him know that he merely won a battle, she had not been defeated. He returned the gaze, face blank as a mask, but she saw the smoldering embers of pride in his eyes, covering something she couldn't quite place. But it almost seemed vulnerable, human.

* * *

She found herself excited for the final part of the exam, knowing she had Neji beat when it came to projectiles.

Each student took turns standing in a circle surrounded by twenty oddly placed targets. They were handed exactly twenty shuriken and told to put one in each target, the closer to the center the better.

She watched kid after kid go, some failing rather miserably, some managing to get at least half in the general vicinity of the target. The teachers always had her go last when it came to projectiles, she was undeniably the best. Tenten noted with interest that Rock Lee didn't do half bad. He managed to get 14 of his shuriken in the target, 8 of them were bullseyes.

Maybe he'll pass after all thought Tenten, other than the ninjutsu, he has done exceptionally well.

Tenten stiffened as Neji's name was called; if anyone could debunk her, it was him. She nervously watched as he confidently threw his shuriken, hitting the center of the targets time after time, he only had three shuriken left.

She observed as he looked behind the targets a ways and noticeably tensed. Deciding he saw someone or something foreboding Tenten glanced in the general direction. She saw there, hidden among the trees, a man who greatly resembled Neji himself. Tall, straight, and full of power, the man focused his strange eyes on Neji, looking threatening and unhappy. Tenten returned her attention to Neji, who had noticeably paled, his hand shook slightly as he aimed his final three shuriken. Tenten decided something was definitely wrong when only one of Neji's shuriken reached the center of the target, the other two lodging themselves in one of the outer rings. Tenten didn't know who this man was or why he had such a negative effect on Neji, but despite herself she couldn't help but be slightly curious.

She shook off the distraction as her name was called, and wasted no time in neatly sinking all 20 shuriken in the centers of the targets. She thought about sending a haughty smirk in Neji's direction, but when she looked his way she found herself feeling empathetic toward the small boy, who was frowning at the ground looking scared and beat.

* * *

Tenten waited in apprehension as the teachers lined up the headbands, each one bearing the insignia of Konoha. She nervously counted them, there weren't near enough for everyone. She tried to keep calm, but she couldn't help but bounce her leg up and down quickly, full of nervous energy, each name called meant it was less likely for her name to be next.

She was so nervous she didn't even react when they called Rock Lee's name. Her brain wasn't processing the information. Even hearing Neji Hyuga's name didn't get a reaction from her. All she knew is that it wasn't her name, and her chances were dwindling. With two headbands left Tenten began to feel sick to her stomach, what would she do if she failed? Fortunately her train of thought didn't get further than that, as her name interrupted the silence. She was so elated she forgot to react, she simply floated down, received her headband, and floated back to her seat, barely aware of what was happening; only noticing the pleasant new weight on her forehead.

* * *

Neji remained expressionless as he went to the front of the class to receive his headband. Of course he had passed. It was his destiny, nothing could have changed it. He left quickly after class was dismissed, heading toward the Hyuga compound, hoping to earn a scrap of pride from his uncle, after he had embarrassed him during the shuriken section of the exam.

18 out of 20 bulleye? He thought. Pitiful. I deserve to be a branch member of the clan.

He was violently shocked out of his thoughts by a loud whoop, he whipped his attention to that girl with the strange buns who was, apparently, walking a little ways in front of him. He couldn't help but allow the tiniest ghost of a smile to cross his features as he watched her run and backflip off a tree and release a second whoop of joy before turning to enter the tiniest house he had ever seen.

_Surely no more than one person can fit in such a place_, thought Neji.

Crossing all his boundaries, he paused for a second and activated his byakugan. He didn't know why, but this girl make him feel….different. He wasn't sure he liked it.

He watched as the girl stood in the entryway, slumped against the closed door, her excitement dissipated by the permanent emptiness of her house. Neji realized that there is no one for the girl to share her happiness with.

_She's alone_ thought Neji as an unexpected sense of empathy coursed through him.

_Maybe I'm not the only one _thought Neji, as he continued towards his home. To once again attempt to please his unpleasable uncle with prizes that were completely trivial in his experienced eyes.

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**There you have it! I hope you liked it and will at least follow the story for a bit :) I'm making Tenten an orphan, in case you hadn't noticed. I always assumed she was because her parents are never shown and she has no known last name, so I'm just gonna go with that! Tell me what you thought and thanks for reading!  
**

**~bearhead**


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